Everything Will Change
by Another Bookish Girl
Summary: The Battle of Hogwarts has come and gone, leaving a trail of devastation in it's wake. But when Hermione and her classmates return to school to re-take their final year, everything changes, and they find that their previous views on others may not be as black and white as they once thought. Friendship blossoms, and throughout trials and tribulations, love triumphs over all.


**Chapter 1.**

_Back to School._

Hermione Jean Granger danced around her bedroom gleefully. She had one all to herself now that she was Head Girl, and was so glad to not have to put up with Lavender Brown's silly fantasies about Ron Weasley, her new boyfriend. Yes, Hermione had kissed him during the Battle of Hogwarts, but afterwards they'd both decided that it was a little too much like kissing your favourite sibling. And besides, Hermione hadn't the heart to tell Lavender that Ron would never get married on a giant wedding cake; instead he'd have eaten it all before the ceremony had even started.

So this was it. It was her last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The previous year sevens had returned to repeat their final year, as the last one couldn't have even been _thought_ of as a proper education. With Death Eaters on staff, the school year ended by a battle that left many scarred, and many dead. Hermione, Harry and Ron had even dropped out, deciding to recover and destroy the secret to You-Know-… er, Voldemort's success, his Horcruxes. The pieces of his soul that he'd hidden in inanimate objects to protect himself from death. But his plan had failed. Three Hogwarts students, with the help of many others, destroyed all of the Horcruxes, and eventually, Voldemort himself.

And now, back at Hogwarts for the last time, Hermione, Harry and Ron were considered celebrities. Harry was used to it; ever since he was a wee baby he'd been called 'The Chosen One', and 'The Boy Who Lived', and was able to ignore all the attention. Ron, on the other hand, had embraced his sudden rise to stardom. He'd spent his entire life coming second place; to his elder brothers, to Harry, even Hermione herself. He'd always been 'Harry Potter's Best Mate'. But now, he was famous for being Ron Weasley.

However, Hermione loathed the way people sidled up next to her and pretended they'd been best friends for years, how they pestered her while she was in the library, but most of all how they stared at her, as if she was some sort of celebrity. And in reality, she was now. A celebrity, that is. She wasn't able to leave her house without reporters from the Daily Prophet begging her and her parents for exclusive interviews. That's why she'd been so glad to get back to Hogwarts. Still, she missed her parents awfully. Almost straight after the battle she'd disapparated over to Australia and removed the powerful memory charm she'd placed on her parents. It had been horrid, her parents not knowing that they had a daughter and all that, but she'd done it to protect them. Who knows what the death Eaters might've done to them to extract information on her whereabouts. Now, they were in a special ward at St. Mungo's receiving the finest treatment available from the world's most experienced healers.

Hermione yawned, and stretched like a cat. She was so tired. The Hogwarts food almost always had that effect on students' first night back, almost as if the teachers were trying to remind the students of the importance of sleep. Well, Hermione would give them this: they were good. She never fell asleep more quickly in her life. Just as she'd finished putting on her singlet and homemade flannelette pyjama bottoms, there was a knock on her door. She grinned. No one ever knocked back in her old dorm. They just barged right in. It was a pleasant change. She pulled on her old pink dressing gown, opened the door, and found the Head Boy, her best friend, standing before her.

'Harry!' She exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her.

'Hermione!'

'Oh, it's wonderful to see you! How were your holidays? Where were you on the train? You weren't in the Head's carriage! I went and got Luna though, so it's all right. She and Neville went nargle-catching on the holidays. How were your holidays? Oh, I already asked that, didn't I? I'm sorry, I'm just so happy to see you again!' Harry pulled back and laughed, a great deep laugh. He'd grown over the holidays, Hermione thought. He looked older. Perhaps it was hormones, but Hermione expected that it was the pressure of having the entire Wizarding world counting on you to succeed.

'My holidays were fine, thank you. I spent most of them with the Weasleys. They've really taken Fred's… Erm, the whole Battle thing hard. They all have. Especially Ginny.'

'But I would've thought-'

'That George would be the worst? So did we! But he's actually taking it quite well. Oh, he's devastated all right. Who wouldn't be? But he says that Fred visited him in a dream or something. Told him that he was in a happy place. George says that he doesn't think that Fred would want us all to mope around for him.' Hermione laughed. That was definitely Fred's style.

'He's started up a charity, you know.'

'Really?'

'Yeah. He's called it 'Freddie's'. For the people who lost their loved ones because of Voldemort and his followers. Fifty percent of his earnings go to the foundation. George said he was just giving Fred his earnings.' A tear slipped down Hermione's cheek.

'What a wonderful thing to do.' She whispered. Harry nodded.

'And the rest of my holidays I spent with my godson. Teddy Remus Lupin.' He said proudly as they sat down on the floor. Hermione smiled as harry told her stories and showed her pictures of Teddy. Yet another child who would never know his parents. At least Tonks and Remus had died together. Hermione hadn't told anyone yet, but she'd seen it happen. Their death. And it had to have been one of the saddest things she'd ever seen. They'd been fighting a Death Eater; one Hermione didn't recognise. He'd disarmed Tonks; her wand had gone flying into the air and into a patch of flames. Remus's eyes had widened, and he'd thrust his wand into Tonks' hands. He'd entwined her hands in his, and wrapped her fingers around the wand. Then he'd kissed her passionately on the lips; a final goodbye kiss, and they both knew it, for moments later there was a flash of green light, and Remus fell to the ground. Tonks screamed; a sound Hermione would never forget, and fired a volley of curses at the Death Eater with the wand of her dead husband. The Death Eater ran for cover, only to be crushed by falling debris. Tonks bent down over Remus, her bubble-gum pink hair turning coal black as she sobbed his name. Then another Death Eater crept up behind her, and yelled the same words screamed by his comrade minutes earlier. The same flash of green accompanied them, and when it cleared, Hermione saw two lifeless shapes, instead of one. She never did discover who had killed Tonks and Remus, for moments later the Death Eater had been flattened by a group of acromantuli, the giant spiders that had once resided in the Forbidden Forest. But the memory still haunted her all the same.

Hermione drifted back to the present, to see Harry looking at her with confusion and concern.

'Erm, Hermione, are you all right? You drifted off a little…' She shook herself.

'I'm fine, Harry. Just tired. It's been a pretty busy day.' He nodded, and got up.

'See you tomorrow?' He offered his hand to pull her up. She took it, and stood up.

'Remember, Professor McGonagall wants to see us before breakfast.'

'Do you know who we have for Transfiguration now she's headmaster? And Defence Against The Dark Arts?'

'I don't know. I wonder what they'll be like. McGonagall was such an amazing teacher, I don't know if anyone could live up to her standards.' Harry laughed again.

'Goodnight Hermione.'

'Night Harry.' Hermione shut the door, smiling to herself. She was so lucky to have friends like Harry. She crawled into bed, wrapping her covers around her. She wondered how Ginny was. Ginny and Hermione had always been friends, but they'd really made a connection last year, when Ginny had confessed her feelings about Harry to Hermione in secret. Hermione had expected as much, from both of them. She'd seen Ginny glancing at Harry when she thought no one was looking, and Harry was constantly making a fool of himself around Ginny, spilling food, falling down, awkward silences, the lot. He seemed to do that a lot with girls he fancied. But Ginny and Harry were now dating, and it was strongly assumed by many that they'd grow up to get married and live happily ever after. It was nice; the world needed a little bit of love in it after the terrible battle, Hermione thought as she drifted off to sleep.


End file.
